Worklife Balance: Is It the Impossible Dream?

Remote work has been shown to bring more flexibility.

"Where are you from?" is a question that pops up frequently in my professional life. As a remote member of my team/s, it's often hard for people to understand that I could be living anywhere and still be able to do my job. My location determines everything from the hours I can work to what kind of food I eat.

Remote work has been shown to bring more flexibility and freedom when it comes to all of the following:

• choosing one's schedule,
• choosing where one lives, and
• choosing what work gets done.

Employers are now learning to measure productivity through output rather than hours worked.

You may have noticed that working from home has become increasingly popular. This is because, with the help of technology, employers are now learning to measure productivity through output rather than hours worked.

We all know how much time it takes to get into a zone – focused concentration and flow cannot be rushed. I’ve found that some of my most productive days have been when I’ve worked a few hours in the morning, then taken a long walk at lunchtime, followed by another few hours in the afternoon. Breaks are not just good for your mental health; they can actually make you more productive!

It’s also important to note that our work patterns are not all the same: while introverts tend to need alone time and quiet environments to concentrate, extroverts get inspiration from being around others and may benefit from engaging in small talk throughout the day.

Because remote work allows for flexible schedules, workers are able to meet personal and family needs.

First of all, because work from home allows for flexible schedules, workers are able to meet personal and family needs. What does this mean? It means more time with your family, more time for exercise and other health-related activities, less hours spent commuting, and less time spent preparing and cleaning up after meals.

Remote work means more freedom in choosing where one lives.

You may have heard that remote jobs allow you to work from anywhere in the world, and while this is an oversimplification of the situation, it's not far off. As long as there is a reliable Internet connection and your employer isn't insisting on a 9-5 schedule that requires you to be in a specific place at certain times, you can live anywhere in the world and work remotely. The opportunities for freedom of choice are endless: live wherever you want! Live somewhere cheaper! Live in a more beautiful place! Live somewhere with better public transit! Live near your family! There are so many possibilities.

It's important to note that there are limitations to where one can live while working remotely. For one thing, there is limited opportunity to really connect with coworkers when you're working alone or on your own team. Also, if your boss insists on meeting at 9AM Eastern Time every Tuesday morning and you live in Tokyo or Paris, then being available at odd times each week might not sound like much fun. However, many people find these tradeoffs worth it since having complete control over where they live has allowed them to enjoy new freedoms they wouldn't have experienced otherwise.

Worklife balance may be closer than we think.

But worklife balance may be closer than we think. Remote workers report higher levels of satisfaction with their jobs and personal lives, and the trend is growing and being embraced by businesses large and small. Employers are learning to trust their employees, which means you can work from home or a coffee shop or the moon—wherever you please! And remote work is projected to keep growing in popularity well into the future.

Remote work isn’t just about saving time on commute; it offers more flexibility for your schedule. There’s no need for you to set an alarm clock if there’s no boss at your door waiting for you to start the day. You can take time off whenever you want, so long as it doesn’t interfere with your production output. (You probably do have to stay home when you’re sick, but that’s only fair.)

There is one downside: working from home can be hard on relationships if overused. More people than ever are reporting feeling lonely, despite having family members and friends around them constantly. In my case, my family is now happy to pay me to go out for a while :)